Reading Glasses Ep 440 - Best Book COVERS of the Year + Alonso Duralde!
Dec 4, 2025
Film critic and author Alonso Duralde joins to share insights on his updated book, Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas. He discusses beloved holiday movie adaptations, including his favorite, the 1970 musical *Scrooge*. Brea and Mallory unveil their favorite book covers of 2025, exploring categories from horror to cute designs. They also recommend gifts for digital readers and dig into fun bookish anecdotes, making this conversation a festive treat for book and movie lovers alike!
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Episode notes
Annual Book Cover Tradition
- Mallory and Brea launched a new annual tradition: naming their favorite book covers of the year.
- The episode frames cover design as a distinct, repeatable category worth its own celebration.
Vampire-tinged Hospital Mystery
- Brea describes reading The Midnight Shift, a Korean horror-leaning literary novel about elderly patients jumping from a hospital.
- She shares surreal vampire hints and rising-plot curiosity that hooked her into the translation.
Smutty 'Hunt' Romance Premise
- Mallory recounts reading Willing Prey, a very smutty contemporary romance about a teacher hired to be hunted for pay.
- She outlines the premise and character dynamics that make it erotically charged and narratively tense.
